Athletics Hall of Fame induction

Posted on Jun 18, 2013

Showcasing its rich history of sports excellence, Immaculata University will host its second Athletics Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Saturday, October 19, in the Great Hall on the University’s campus beginning at 5:30 p.m. Among the inductees are Molly Lackman ’94 and Letitia Huntzman Santarelli ’86, two of Immaculata’s outstanding athletes; Thomas J. Ford, Ed.D., and Sister Marian William Hoben, IHM, Ph.D., former members of Immaculata’s executive administration and staunch supporters of Immaculata’s Mighty Macs; and Mel Greenberg, a sports journalist who specializes in women’s basketball. These honorees were chosen by Immaculata’s Athletics Hall of Fame Selection Committee, made up of administrators, faculty, and coaches from the University.

Thomas J. Ford, Ed.D.
Former Immaculata University Vice President for Administration and Finance Thomas J. Ford approved and oversaw the construction of the Immaculata Baseball Stadium. In addition, his dedication to Immaculata University’s athletics program provided an opportunity to grow all of the sports once Immaculata University’s College of Undergraduate Studies became coeducational. During his tenure, the Draper Walsh Stadium, the Mighty Macs Athletic Training Facility, and the Baseball Stadium were built.

Mel Greenberg
Mel Greenberg is a respected American sports journalist who has spent much of his career focused on women’s basketball. He has helped pioneer national coverage of the sport, most notably as a leader in organizing the first Top 25 Women’s College Basketball Poll. For this and other accomplishments, he has been called “The Guru” of women’s basketball. He has covered women’s basketball, including Immaculata’s Mighty Macs, for the Philadelphia Inquirer since 1970. Greenberg continues to write about the championship Mighty Macs and the current women’s basketball teams at Immaculata. His blog, womhoops.blogspot.com, covers former Mighty Mac players who have moved on to careers as coaches in college or professional basketball. In 1991, Greenberg received the first media award from the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association, an award that has since been named after him. In 2007, Greenberg was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.

Sister Marian William Hoben, IHM, Ph.D.
Sister Marian William Hoben was president of Immaculata from 1982-1992. Sister Marian attended many of the legendary Mighty Mac games, both on the road and at home, often traveling with the team. During her presidency, Sister Marian approved and supported the well-deserved 20th anniversary celebration of the first championship team, holding the event on campus in 1992. In addition, Sister Marian has served as a spokesperson for the Mighty Macs and has been interviewed for segments regarding the Mighty Macs for ESPN, CBS News, and countless newspaper articles.

Molly Lackman ’94

While a student at Immaculata, Lackman played field hockey, basketball, and softball, and she earned all-league status for all three sports. For field hockey, Lackman was honored by the Philadelphia Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (PAIAW) as an All-Star in 1991 and 1992. In 1993 she was First-team All-Pennsylvania Athletic Conference. While a member of the softball team, Lackman was First-team All-PAC in 1993 and 1994. Her career batting average is .497 and .886 fielding. She led the team in RBIs for three consecutive seasons. In her basketball career, she helped her team win PAC runner-up in 1993. For four consecutive seasons, she was ranked in the NCAA Division III for scoring and rebounding and was named First-team All-PAC in 1993-1994. During her first three seasons, she earned PAIAW Division II All-Star status.

Letitia Huntzman Santarelli ’86

During her four years as a member of the Mighty Macs women’s basketball team, Letty Huntzman Santarelli scored 1,128 career points and 955 rebounds, ranking her fourth all-time in rebounds. She ranked fifth nationally for the NCAA Division II in rebounding in 1985; in 1986 she was ranked 13th in scoring and fourth in rebounding nationally. In 1986 Santarelli was named a Fast Break College Division II NCAA First Team All-American and also that year was named the Fast Break Northeast Region College Division All-Region. She was also twice named a Philadelphia Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (PAIAW) All-Star and was named to the Big Five All-Area College Team in 1985. After her successful college career, Santarelli was drafted by the Texas Twisters of the National Women’s Basketball Association. She has coached the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) in the Philadelphia area and is an outreach director of Philly Girls Got Game, a non-profit organization.

For more information about the induction ceremony, please call 610-647-4400, ext. 3874. Tickets for the event are $50 per person and $500 for a table of ten.